Closure cap



G. A. KIHM CLOSURE CAP June 19, 1956 Filed Sept. 5, 1951 CLOSURE CAP Georges Achille Kihm, Collonges-au-Mont-dOr, France Application September 5, 1951, Serial No. 245,167

Claims priority, application France September 22, 1950 1 Claim. (Cl. 215-46) Closure caps such as are employed more especially for bottles and flasks generally comprise the actual cap consisting of metal or of rigid plastic material, such as that known as Bakelite and a packing member or seal generally consisting of cork or rubber.

Lids for pots, jars or other receptacles are also known, which comprise two elements, namely a closure disc of plastic material, the base of which fits into the interior of the opening to be closed, and a covering ring with a pcripheral skirt secured by various means around the neck to prevent unintentional opening of the receptacle.

Due to the presence of the said two elements comprising the cap and seal, and the closure disc and securing member, the cost of capping a bottle is relatively high since labor is required to assemble the separate elements.

With a view to overcoming these disadvantages, the present invention has for its object to provide a closure cap consisting entirely of plastic material made in one piece, which is introduced with a force fit against and into the opening to be closed and affords complete fluidtightness and an effective closure.

To this end, the said closure cap comprises two parts forming an integral element but having separate functions, one of the said parts constituting the closure member and comprising a depressed portion to penetrate into the interior of the neck of the opening to afford fluidtightness, while the other part forms a peripheral securing skirt terminated at its base by at least one internally projecting flange and being introduced with a force fit into the groove formed to receive it in the outer wall of the neck of the receptacle, the said two parts being connected by a ring resting on the upper part of the neck of the opening to be closed.

if the cap is to be repeatedly used, it consists of a flexible plastic material and is provided with means to enable it to be readily gripped and removed.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, the same will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view through line II of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view including a half-sectional view on line IIII of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the ring section thereof partially removed to free the cover from its securing skirt.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation showing separately the container and the cover thereof after removal of the ring by which it is connected to the skirt.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the container and the cover thereof after removal of the securing skirt on the latter.

When the cap consists of a flexible plastic material, it comprises a skirt and a crown having at its centre a depressed portion, the external diameter of which is equal 2 to the internal diameter of the neck of the bottle which is to be closed.

In order that the closure constructed in the form shown in Figures 1 to 5 may not be tampered with, the cap is made of a plastic material. of small elasticity, notably. in the part which provides the securing action.

As shown in Fig. 1, this cap or cover that consists entirely of plastic material such as polyethylene preferably comprises a depressed central portion 21, an annular portion 22, the lower face of which rests on the upper wall of the orifice of the receptacle 23, a skirt 24 extending downwardly along the outer wall of the receptacle and terminated by a bead, and an inwardly projecting flange 25 on the skirt 24.

To position the said cover, the latter is placed on the opening of the receptacle and pressure is exerted on the periphery thereof in the direction of the arrows 26 so that, due to the relative elasticity of the plastic material, the flange 25 occupies the position shown in Figure 5 below the bead 27 projecting outwardly from the wall of the receptacle 23.

The cover thus positioned on the receptacle 23 is maintained against the orifice of the said receptacle only by the flange 25 on the neck thereof below the head 27.

The low elasticity of the flange 25 prevents the positioned cover from being withdrawn so that the opening thus closed is substantially inviolable.

In order that the said receptacle may be opened without completely destroying the cover thereof, its upper annular face 22 bearing against the orifice is formed with two concentric grooves 28 and 28a relatively close together. It is then suflicient to cut and remove by means of a pointed tool or a blade a portion of the ring 22 bounded by the two grooves 28 and 28a and then to pull in the direction of the arrow 29 the tongue 31 thus formed in order to tear it off around the whole circumference as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The ring 22 (Fig. 3) having been removed, the depressed portion 21 (Fig. 5) of the cover is released, so that the orifice of the receptacle can be recovered.

If desired, the flange 25 can then be cut in order to separate it from the receptacle 23, so that the receptacle covered by the cover 21 takes the form shown in Figure 9.

In many cases, it is necessary that the closure should be inviolable in order to prevent the receptacle from being re-filled with a product different from the original product.

This cap of substantially inelastic plastic material, which is non-detachably secured by pre-expansion under the action of heat, for example, satisfied this condition if it is necessary to tear it in order to re-fill the receptacle.

I claim:

In combination, a container having a neck provided on its outer surface with an annular recess, and a cap closing said neck of said container, said cap being composed of flexible plastic material having a relatively low elasticity and comprising a central disc portion seating in said neck, a cylindrical portion integral with said disc portion and in tight engagement with the inner surface of said neck, said cylindrical portion extending upwardly on said neck to the top of said neck, a skirt portion surrounding said neck and extending upwardly to the top of said neck, said skirt portion terminating at its bottom in an inwardly directed annular flange of reduced inner diameter, said annular flange seating in said annular recess of said neck and being securely held therein because of the relative inelasticity of its reduced inner diameter, and a flat annular portion seating on the top of said neck and integrally connecting said skirt portion and said cylindrical portion, said flat annular portion being provided with a pair of weakened circular lines of greater diameter than the inner diameter of said neck of said container, said circu- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Reiset Apr. 25, 1893 Morfoot June 28, 1898 10 4 Barrath Dec. 27, 1898 Bellows June 14, 1932 Siegerist Dec. 2, 1941 De Swart July 27, 1943 Johnsen June 20, 1944 Golding Nov. 18, 1947 Battersby Mar. 3, 1953 

